Walk-off and an uncontested penalty: scandal in a European decider | OneFootball

Málaga CF were crowned champions of the 36th Costa del Sol Trophy in the most unusual fashion anyone can remember in the tournament’s history: Fulham FC refused to take part in the penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw at the end of regular time, with their manager Álvaro Arbeloa sent off for protesting to the referee in the closing moments of the match.

The game, played this Wednesday at La Rosaleda in front of 17,179 spectators, began with bad news for the home side. Forward Adrián Niño asked to be substituted in the opening minutes due to physical problems, setting off alarm bells for a Málaga side heading into the start of LaLiga with several players already sidelined. He was replaced by midfielder Rafa Rodríguez, a change that altered coach Juanfran Funes’ initial plan and forced the team to switch from a two-striker setup to a 4-3-3.

With that adjustment on the pitch, Fulham found the spaces they needed. The English side, more direct and more dangerous down the flanks, took control and in the 23rd minute Sessegnon put the visitors ahead with a header at the far post. Málaga’s response came just five minutes later, in a flash of quality from David Larrubia, who delivered the ball into the heart of the box for Chupe to bundle it into the net with a striker’s instinct (1-1). The goal changed the course of the match: La Rosaleda came alive, Dani Lorenzo took control of midfield, and the Blue and Whites could have gone into the break ahead, although they lacked accuracy in the closing stages of the first half.

The second half belonged to Fulham. Arbeloa’s side created another goal from a wide area in the 57th minute, when Alex Iwobi finished with ease at the far post to make it 1-2. The English team were more clinical despite Málaga having more possession. Funes turned to a flurry of substitutions to inject energy into the team, and the move paid off: in the 90th minute, referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias awarded a penalty for a clear handball, and Eneko Jauregi, one of the players just brought on, converted it to level the score (2-2).

That was when the match took an unprecedented turn. Arbeloa and a member of his coaching staff were shown red cards for protesting to the referee. And when everything pointed to a penalty shootout, Fulham announced that they would not take part in it, arguing that the shootout was not included in the trophy contract and that the team’s return schedule to England was incompatible with the match being extended. The English side left the pitch and Málaga were declared tournament champions by default. Nevertheless, as a symbolic gesture, a spot kick was taken with no goalkeeper in goal, and the crowd celebrated it as if it were official.

Málaga thus end their preseason with a record of two draws — 2-2 against Saudi side Al-Ittihad and 3-3 against Leicester — two wins — 4-2 over Al-Arabi and this asterisk-marked trophy against Fulham — and one defeat against Ceuta. Next Wednesday, the Málaga side begin their LaLiga campaign at the stadium of Atlético de Madrid.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.